Scranton, PA Dumpster Rental: The Complete Guide

Why rent a dumpster?

Whether you are replacing a roof in West Scranton, remodeling a kitchen in Green Ridge, running a job site near downtown or clearing out a whole property, most projects make more waste than people expect. A roll-off puts it all in one place instead of trip after trip to a disposal site: a cleaner, safer site, less time hauling and one delivery, one container and one pickup. Around Scranton it matters more than you might think. Household trash is a City or Borough service built for weekly bags: the City's DPW picks up household garbage first and larger items only if there is room, Old Forge says construction material will not be picked up, and Dunmore does not take construction debris or clean outs. We found no permanent City drop-off for construction or bulk waste. Remodels, roof tear-offs, estate cleanouts, landscaping and demolition fill a box quicker than a trailer.

How a roll-off rental works

You call, tell us about the project and the type of debris, and we help you pick the right size and give you a flat-rate price. Once it is confirmed, we deliver, often the same day or next day depending on availability. You load it at your own pace during the rental period, keeping everything below the top rim. When you are done, call and we schedule pickup and handle disposal. You do not need to be present for delivery or pickup as long as we have clear instructions on where to place the dumpster and the area is accessible and free of vehicles or obstacles.

Our yard is at 1777 N Keyser Ave in North Scranton; the US Census geocoder places it inside the City of Scranton, Lackawanna County. Scranton had 76,328 people at the 2020 Census and Lackawanna County 215,896. We are locally owned and operated in Scranton, and the approx. road distance from the yard to the City's Census point is 3 miles, around 6 minutes.

Choosing a size

Start with the job, then check the weight. A 10 yard, about 14 feet long, suits small remodels, concrete and roofing. A 15, about 16 feet, suits garage cleanouts, flooring and yard debris. The 20, 30 and 40 share a length of about 22 feet and get taller: the 20, our most popular size, for renovations, roofing and landscaping; the 30 for whole-home cleanouts and large remodels; the 40 for commercial construction and demolition. All are about 7.5 feet wide. Weight allowances run from 1–2 tons on a 10 up to 5–6 tons on a 40, depending on the debris, and heavy material like concrete or dirt goes only in a 10 or 15. The sizing guide has the full table.

Who handles what: City, boroughs, County and State

In Scranton, the City's Department of Public Works collects residential refuse, and commercial properties and buildings of six or more units must provide refuse removal by a private licensed hauler (City Code § 400-11). The City licenses haulers (§ 400-16), permits roll-offs on its streets (§ 400-17) and requires businesses to recycle cardboard, office paper, aluminum cans and leaf waste. Its Commercial Recycling page says the yearly report form "must be signed by your hauler so that your totals are valid." For permits and licences, the City's Code Enforcement page says to contact "the Bureau of Code Enforcement for questions about permits, licenses, or inspections. 570.348.4193".

The boroughs each run their own trash: Dunmore, Dickson City, Olyphant, Throop, Blakely, Taylor and Moosic collect with Borough crews or Borough service, while Archbald, Jermyn, Mayfield, Clarks Summit, Dalton, Jessup and Old Forge use a contracted or designated hauler, Moscow leaves it to each property owner, and Carbondale is a city with its own code. Some of those rules reach roll-offs, which is why every town has its own line in the permit guide. Lackawanna County runs the household hazardous waste event for county residents. The State sets the baseline: waste trucks over 17,000 lbs hauling to Pennsylvania facilities need DEP's Waste Transporter Authorization (Act 90), loads must be covered (75 Pa.C.S. § 4903), covered electronic devices are banned from disposal (the Covered Device Recycling Act), and occupying a state highway needs a PennDOT permit (State Highway Law § 420(b)(2)).

Placement and permits

Driveway first. In Scranton, a roll-off placed on any street or highway needs a permit from the Department of Permits, Licensing and Inspections (City Code § 400-17). The application gives the applicant, the exact location, the purpose and how long it will stay, and the applicant signs an indemnity for the City. On the street the container needs a flashing light and proper reflectors, and it may stay in the right-of-way for only one day unless the permit holder engages an off-duty police officer. So for a street spot we arrange the City's street permit or check the rules with you before booking. We found no City permit for a dumpster on private property.

Outside the city line it varies. Archbald and Jermyn require a Borough permit for every temporary dumpster, even on private property; Carbondale requires a permit when the dumpster is placed in the road and none on your property; Clarks Summit requires a street permit, two weeks at a time and six weeks at most. State highway right-of-way, including I-81, I-476, US-6, US-11, PA-307 and PA-347, needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit, so we never place a container there. The permit guide covers every town.

Who may haul

Scranton requires any hauler of municipal or residual waste collecting within City limits to hold a licence issued by the Department of Permits, Licensing and Inspections and renewed each year; every vehicle on the application must carry a City licence sticker in plain sight (City Code § 400-16). Statewide, DEP says the Waste Transportation Safety Act "requires all waste transportation vehicles (trucks, truck tractors, or combinations with a registered gross vehicle weight greater than 17,000 lbs., and trailers with a registered gross vehicle weight greater than 10,000 lbs.) transporting municipal or residual waste to waste processing or disposal facilities in Pennsylvania to have a valid Waste Transporter Authorization." And "No municipal or residual waste processing or disposal facility shall accept municipal or residual waste from a waste transportation vehicle without a current authorization sticker issued by the department" (27 Pa.C.S. § 6206(a)).

Four boroughs have collection rules that reserve some hauling to the Borough or its chosen collector: Archbald (§ 408-13), Jermyn (Ord. 08-2024 § 5), Dalton (§ 290-7) and Dickson City for household refuse (Ord. 9-2011 § 9), so we check the Borough's rules before booking there. Old Forge requires a Borough licence to haul refuse on its streets (§ 290-4C). The permit guide has the sections. We're licensed & insured.

What goes in, what stays out

In: wood, drywall, tile and flooring; furniture, mattresses and general household junk; cabinets and fixtures; roofing shingles; yard debris and branches; cardboard and metal; and concrete, brick, asphalt and soil within the weight limits, in a 10 or 15 yard. Out: paint, solvents and oils; fuel; tires; batteries; hazardous chemicals; gas cylinders and propane tanks; medical waste; asbestos; and appliances holding refrigerant. Pennsylvania adds one disposal ban that matters for a roll-off: "no person may dispose of a covered device or any of its components with their municipal waste" (DEP's Covered Device Recycling Act FAQ), which covers computers, monitors, peripherals and TVs. The full guide says what to do with each instead.

Demolition and asbestos

DEP enforces the federal asbestos NESHAP rules, and says: "Should a project be subject to the NESHAP regulations, a minimum ten-working-day notification of the project is required to be made to DEP." It also says: "DEP does not regulate the removal of ACM from private residences unless the residence is an apartment with five or more units." Separately, the Department of Labor and Industry enforces the state Asbestos Occupations Accreditation and Certification Act, which "requires at least a five-day notification of any project abating friable asbestos material of more than 3 square or 3 linear feet", and "All individuals who perform asbestos removal must work for a contractor who holds current certification from the Department of Labor and Industry."

Check the current notice rules and fee with DEP before a demolition or a large tear-out starts; the two state pages we read give different fees, so we do not quote one. Asbestos never goes in our roll-offs. If an older home may have it, have it checked before the tear-out starts.

Where the loads go

We work with local disposal and recycling facilities in the Scranton area, and materials like metal, concrete, asphalt and yard waste are separated and handled responsibly whenever possible. Every load on the road is covered: Pennsylvania requires every load of loose garbage, waste, refuse or rubbish to travel "in a vehicle with four solid sides and with a cover or top of a type to prevent any of the load from escaping" (75 Pa.C.S. § 4903(c.1)), and Scranton requires roll-offs to be tightly tarped or covered at all times during transportation (§ 400-16F).

Keeping a clean concrete or brick load apart from household junk helps, because clean loads are easier to recycle, and yard waste does best as its own load. Olyphant's own page notes: "The landfill will not accept any Grass/Leaves."

Outside the city line

The rules change once you leave Scranton. Next door are Dunmore (pop. 14,042; approx. 5 road miles), Taylor (6,294; 4), Dickson City (6,038; 3), Throop (4,065; 5) and Clarks Summit (5,107; 5). Up the valley are Olyphant (5,383; 11), Blakely (6,657; 6), Jessup (4,520; 12), Archbald (7,297; 9), Jermyn (2,150; 10), Mayfield (1,763; 11) and the City of Carbondale (8,828; 13). To the south and west are Old Forge (8,497; 7), Moosic (5,959; 11), Moscow (2,039; 14) and Dalton (1,284; 9). Populations are 2020 Census counts and miles are approx. road miles from our yard. See the service area, or the Scranton page for home.

Loading, pickup and booking

Spread materials evenly, break bulky pieces down, and keep everything below the top rim: overfilled dumpsters cannot be safely transported and may require adjustments before pickup. If you need more space, we arrange a swap or an additional container. Need more time? Call to extend for an additional fee; finish early and we schedule a prompt pickup. Contractors can ask about scheduled rotations, multiple dumpsters and flexible billing. Near homes we plan drop-offs and pickups for the daytime and do not promise night or Sunday service; Scranton's noise rules set lower limits from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. and on Sundays and legal holidays.

To book, call (570) 354-0618 — the phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Have the address, the material and a rough quantity ready, and call early in the day for the best chance of same-day service. We accept major credit and debit cards.